Talk:Daphne Lee

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Suggested improvements

Latest comment: 5 months ago4 comments2 people in discussion

An impartial editor has reviewed the proposed edit(s) and asked the editor with a conflict of interest to go ahead and make the suggested changes.

As the Wikimedian in Residence for the University of Otago, I have some suggested improvements to this article to take account of another award and profile, but as this that gives me a COI, I will suggest them here. If another editor could review the suggestions and either make them, approve me to make them, or suggest changes, that would be appreciated.

Changes:

1. Expand lead slightly to include education work - suggest adding "and her work to improve geoscience education." to final sentence.

2. Lee was not brought up in Mataura but on a farm near the Mataura River. We suggest changing the sentence "Lee was brought up in Mataura in Southland." to "Lee was brought up on a farm near the Mataura River in Southland, and attended Gore High School, where she was a member of the geology club." (all from the original source, ensure changing link to Mataura to the article on the river instead).

3. Lee was not the first woman to graduate with a PhD in geology, this was a mistake by the reporter. We suggest just deleting this sentence, and recasting the rest of the paragraph as follows, using a 2024 Geoscience NZ article and the announcement of her emeritus appointment for additional information:

"Lee studied geology at the University of Otago and went on to complete a PhD in 1981, studying part-time while she had a family. Her dissertation was titled The Cenozoic and Recent rhynchonellide brachiopods of New Zealand, with an account of the Eocene and Paleocene brachiopod faunas. She joined the university in 1988, and was for many years the only woman faculty member in the Department of Geology.[existing source 1] Lee’s research group was “the largest and most active university paleontological group” in New Zealand.^[1] Lee was an Associate Professor at the Geology Department of the University of Otago, from which she retired in 2018. [existing sources 1, 3, 4] In 2024 she was awarded the title emeritus professor, "in recognition of her outstanding career as one of New Zealand’s most prominent, dedicated and passionate paleontologists".^[2][and existing source 1] She is a coordinator of a research team that has focused on researching the fossil site Foulden Maar.[existing sources 5, 6] Lee is the curator of the University of Otago Geology Museum.[existing source 1]

4. The GSNZ article on Lee makes much of her contributions to education, so we suggest adding some information about that:

"Lee led the GSNZ’s Geoeducation Subcommittee, which later became the Geological Education Special Interest Group. She co-founded the committee in 1983 and led it until 2005.^[1] The group created teaching materials and contributed to the national science curriculum for years 1-11, ensuring that earth science was included in the science curriculum in all schools.^[1] Lee specialises in palaeobotany and invertebrate paleontology, and is a recognised authority on living and fossil brachiopods.^[2]"

5. There is an additional award, which could be added to the awards section. Suggested text:

"In November 2024, Lee was made an honorary life member of the Geoscience Society of New Zealand, with the citation noting her “significant contributions to the Society’s endeavours to improve geological education in New Zealand schools and her sustained support of GSNZ throughout her distinguished career.”^[1]

6. Some suggested additions to the list of "Selected publications".

Daniel B. Thomas; Jeffrey H. Robinson; Daphne Lee (3 June 2025), Fossil treasures of the Geology Museum, University of Otago, doi:10.11157/UO062025, Wikidata Q136263931
Daphne E. Lee; Uwe Kaulfuss; John G. Conran; Jennifer M. Bannister; Jon K. Lindqvist (11 August 2016). "Biodiversity and palaeoecology of Foulden Maar: an early Miocene Konservat-Lagerstätte deposit in southern New Zealand". Alcheringa. 40 (4): 525–541. doi:10.1080/03115518.2016.1206321. ISSN 0311-5518. Wikidata Q58107192.
DE Lee; JK Lindqvist; AG Beu; JH Robinson; MA Ayress; HEG Morgans; JK Stein (3 April 2014). "Geological setting and diverse fauna of a Late Oligocene rocky shore ecosystem, Cosy Dell, Southland". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics. 57 (2): 195–208. doi:10.1080/00288306.2014.898666. ISSN 0028-8306. Wikidata Q136522061.
Daphne E. Lee; William G. Lee; Nick Mortimer (2001). "Where and why have all the flowers gone? Depletion and turnover in the New Zealand Cenozoic angiosperm flora in relation to palaeogeography and climate". Australian Journal of Botany. 49 (3): 341. doi:10.1071/BT00031. ISSN 0067-1924. Wikidata Q60243494.

Refs

1 2 3 4 Hayward, Bruce; Reid, Catherine (2024). "Daphne Lee". GSNZ Newsletter (8): 28–30.
1 2 Otago, University of (2024-08-22). "Geology's fossil expert awarded Emeritus Professor". www.otago.ac.nz. Retrieved 2025-10-28.

Thanks for your consideration, DrThneed (talk) 21:46, 28 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

(editing to add: the GSNZ Newsletter article is not digitised; I can share privately a copy with another editor if they cannot access this). DrThneed (talk) 02:28, 7 November 2025 (UTC)Reply

@DrThneed:, I approve you to proceed with these edits yourself.-Gadfium (talk) 03:28, 3 March 2026 (UTC)Reply

Done - thank you Gadfium. DrThneed (talk) 04:26, 3 March 2026 (UTC)Reply

[:0-1] 1 2 3 4 Hayward, Bruce; Reid, Catherine (2024). "Daphne Lee". GSNZ Newsletter (8): 28–30.

[:1-2] 1 2 Otago, University of (2024-08-22). "Geology's fossil expert awarded Emeritus Professor". www.otago.ac.nz. Retrieved 2025-10-28.

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